PEORIA (Heart of Illinois ABC) – Local lawmakers face a new timeline for elections this year. But that’s not stopping them from making sure people get a chance to learn more about who they are.

State Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth and state Senator Dave Koehler worked together to host a candidate kickoff breakfast in Peoria Saturday. With petitioning now underway, candidates for an array of local positions are working to get voters to help them get their names on the ballot. It’s also a chance to educate locals on who wants to represent them in office and talk about the issues facing the area.

“We have a great community,” says Gordon-Booth, “we know that this community can be even better, and if we work together as a community, we can actually achieve the goals that many of us believe are attainable.

“Sometimes at a national level you feel kind of disconnected from the political process,” says Senator Koehler. “Well, this is local, and as Tip O’Neill says, ‘All politics is local,’ and that’s true.”

The pandemic caused a delay in census data, pushing back the 10-year redistricting process. That meant also delaying the primary, usually held in the spring. It’s now happening June 28, and the general election is November 8.

Copyright 2022 Heart of Illinois ABC. All rights reserved.